Weeshie's Week

Tipperary defeat Kilkenny in the 2010 All Ireland final and memories of Seamus Darby are revived

September 14th, 2010
by Weeshie Fogarty

Ten minutes into the recent magnificent All Ireland Hurling final between Kilkenny and Tipperary the first major incident which was ultimately to have a huge bearing on the final result occurred. Like millions more around the world watching on TV I was enthralled by this absorbing contest as these two wonderful counties literally collided head on in Croke Park. Kilkenny going for the five in a row, never achieved in either football or hurling. For followers every where but for Kerry people in particular the ghost of Seamus Darby and the never to be forgotten happenings of the 1982 final in many ways shrouded the happenings of this hurling final. Back in'82 I had been sitting in the old Hogan stand with my then young son perched on my lap which afforded me the perfect view of what unfolded before our disbelieving eyes.  Now twenty eight long years later I watched as if in slow motion Tipperary's three goal hero Lar Corbett set his county on their winning way with the first of his goals.  What happened in those fleeting seconds had all the hall mark of the Offaly goal that deprived Kerry. The skies were heavy with rain as a long high slow dropping delivery landed close to the canal goal right in front of Hill 16. Lar Corbett and Noël Hickey stood shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, hurley's raised and poised to strike, eyes glued to the dropping sliotar. Then in that vital split second it happened. A lighting flick of the hip by the Tipp man completely unsettled his opponent. Lar rose high, fielded the ball and in one flowing movement bounded away from his man, he shook the net from close in and the umpire was reaching for the green flag. Tipperary never looked back after this. The magical five in a row would be denied Brian Cody's men.

Rewind history back to 1982. A long high delivery dropped from the rain leaden skies at the canal end of Croke Park in front of Hill 16. Tommy Doyle and Seamus Darby braced and readied themselves, eyes glued to the ball. What happened during the following seconds would be the most talked about incident in the annuals of Gaelic games. At exactly the precise moment when the ball had reached the finger tips of both men Darby with the slightest flick of the hip completely unsettled the Kerry defender. He fielded superbly and in one spinning movement turned away from his man, shook the net from close in and the umpire was reaching for the green flag. Offally never looked back after this.  The magical five in a row was denied Mick o Dwyer's men.

Now put yourself in the shoes or should I say the boots of the referee and I have often found myself in such situations. You are up with the play in the middle of the field. Then comes the long delivery, you are caught out of position and you are struggling to see what is happening around the goalmouth. It has been raining, conditions are a little dark and you view is slightly obscured by players from both sides. The ball drops between two players, yes there is a slight hint of a nudge but before you can even think about a foul the ball is in the back of the net. Was there a foul, probably; however you have no intention of disallowing the goal and giving a free under such circumstances? Discretion is the better part of valor on occasions such as this. 

The crowd is going ballistic, the players are jumping around in delight, you look at your umpires but they too were caught by the speed of what has happened. The goal stands. No argument. But you will forever question yourself and wonder did one player gain an unfair advantage.  Seamus Darby and Lar Corbett are two highly experienced old soldiers and knew all the tricks of the trade necessary to gain advantage around their opponent's goal mouth. And here lies the answer. To position yourself ideally under the dropping ball, to stand hip to hip with you opponent and to give you opponent that little vital flick of the hip at the precise, exact half second is an art and a skill in itself. It is something that only the highly experienced long serving forwards can execute. It is a skill that can not be taught and an art that can and has won All Irelands.  Tipperary were well deserved winners.

This was one of the all time great Croke Park finals. Played with frightening ferocity, raw passion, fierce tackling, and magnificent skill with both sides going at it hammer and thongs from start to finish.  No wonder it is said that hurling is the greatest field sport in the world. Sadly however and here I speak entirely for myself it all finished on a very sad note when exemplary referee Michael Wadding sounded the final whistle. The Croke Park decision makers have won the day. They have stopped that magnificent sight of supporters dashing across the green sward of Croke Park to embrace, hail, hug, shoulder high and pay homage to their heroes. Thousands of followers have been prevented from reaching their own men from their own towns, parishes and villages. These young men, these great athletes who they sported and played with all their lives and now on the greatest day of all the followers are caged behind a nine foot Perspex topped barrier erected to control the "trouble makers" on Hill 16.

No more iconic photographs of Kerry captains being raised high on the shoulders of their adoring Kerry supporters. Are not these photographic images in themselves the very foundation of our games, "The Secret of Kerry", part of our very GAA heritage? Another foundation stone has in my opinion being ripped up and thrown as far away as humanly possible.  I watched with sadness as a great wall of well paid burly security men, stewards and Gardai turned their backs on the field and faced down those supporters in the stands? Keep the GAA followers off Croke Park at all costs is now the message coming from above. Forget about the last hundred years of tradition "We know what is best for you lot from the country". Of course there is an element of danger in rushing crowds; no one will attempt to deny this. Problems in relation to player's safety even exist. However if  the thousands of Euro put into the security and barriers together with whatever was wasted with that shower of glitzy tinsel had been diverted into controlling an orderly slower entry on to the pitch then it would be money (our money) well spend.  The whole presentation ceremony was empty and a complete anti climax.

The following evening when the Tipperary team came home to Semple Stadium thousands of supporters thronged the stands AND the pitch. So can anyone explain why a GAA decision in not allowing supporters on to a field in Dublin one day is the direct opposite to the very same situation in Tipperary the following day? Following Kerry's win in 1997, the first final broadcast live by Radio Kerry the late Liam Higgins and I sat high on the Hogan Stand in the commentary box. Liam said his piece and then I finished describing the scene far below us when the final whistle sounded. "It's Like standing in Adhadoe and seeing the mountains and the lakes so beautiful is the scene here in Croke Park, the supporters,  the hats, the scarves, the colors, the banners sweeping across the green sward like a tide. Kerry in all its magnificence". The have taken all of that away from us. It was a great day for Croke Park Ltd. But at what long term cost?



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